Explore one small slice of Conservation Ethics
Explore the spectrum of possible actions for restoration focusing on examples of wildlife reintroductions
(being with uncomfortable choices)
Explore one small slice of Conservation Ethics
Explore the spectrum of possible actions for restoration focusing on examples of wildlife reintroductions
(being with uncomfortable choices)
Do we have an ecological and/or ethical obligation to restore (at least some) ecological communities that we directly disturbed?
yes
no
I’m not sure how I feel about this
Imagine that an ecologically important species (e.g., a key predator or an ecosystem engineer) has very recently been lost from a local community. The loss is clearly caused by humans (e.g., over-hunting or over-harvest)
All else being equal, should we reintroduce the ecologically important endemic species that was recently extirpated if it is still found nearby?
yes
no
I’m not sure how I feel about this
This is a basic translocation and it is a commonly used approach in biodiversity management.
Translocations can be data-driven to ensure a match between donor and recipient populations
Even within-species translocations or re-introductions can be highly controversial
But also tons of controversy with concerns about the impacts of wolf populations on livestock, and deer/elk hunting
Controversy can be even greater when the predator has been gone from the ecosystem for longer, when there is less open space, and when the predator inspires more fear in humans
For example, possibility of reintroducing cougars to East Coast
But what if there aren’t any other extant populations of the species we want to restore?
Can we justify translocating close relatives
But what if a close relative isn’t an option?
All else being equal, should we introduce an ecological analog of that species that isn’t endemic to the community but is surviving in a similar ecosystem elsewhere in the world?
yes
no
I’m not sure how I feel about this
Taxon substitutions: Reintroducing an ecological analog to restore ecosystems, reduce secondary extinctions, and avoid other cascading effects.
Example, in the Galapagos, following extinction of Pinta Tortoises, Saddleback and Domed tortoises were released to fill the “empty niche” and help with seed dispersal.
But even seemingly similar species are not interchangeable as ecological replacements…
Niche differentiation between saddleback (in gray) and domed (in black) tortoises introduced to Pinta
And how far away (in terms of geography or relatedness) is too far?
For example, should we introduce ecological analogs from Africa to the US?